Cost of living

Malaysia budget 2027: Anwar courts urban voters and small businesses with tax cuts, reliefs

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has proposed raising individual tax relief from the current RM9,000 (S$2,822) to RM12,000 in Budget 2027.

Forum: Affordability a key consideration in fare reviews

IMF warns cost-of-living shocks cause ‘lasting deterioration’ in affordability

The Iran war has led to a spike in oil prices and has pushed global inflation.

Forum: Keep public transport fares affordable

Over 1 million S’porean HDB households to get S&CC, double U-Save rebates in October

The utility and S&CC rebates will be automatically credited to the eligible household’s accounts with grid operator SP Services and the town councils, respectively.

askST

Why are public transport fares going up this year when energy prices are falling in Q4?

Higher energy costs brought on by the ongoing Middle East conflict contributed heavily to the higher fare increase.

Bus, train fares to rise by up to 13 cents for adults from Dec 26 due to higher energy prices

This is the highest fare increase so far, after fares rose by up to 11 cents in the 2023 fare review exercise.

Singapore electricity retailers up offerings to meet higher demand amid Middle East conflict

The proportion of households on fixed-price plans increased between Feb 1 and Sept 1, from around 36.6% to 38.4%.

askST

Spot electricity prices have hit a 2026 high. Will this raise my household bill?

The Uniform Singapore Energy Price (USEP), a measure of the wholesale cost of electricity taken half-hourly, rose to the highest levels seen in 2026 in recent weeks.

Protesters camp in central Madrid after mass demonstration over 87-year-old woman’s eviction

Demonstrators hold a banner that reads: “Not one Maricarmen more”, during a Sept 26 protest in Madrid, Spain, over the forced eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the home she had lived in for decades. A real estate firm acquired the property and raised the rent by a reported 275 per cent.

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.